Chapter 6
I don’t respond to the question. Instead, I suggest that we go home. He nods in agreement.
“I had to see for myself,” Nick quietly says. He looks tired and sad. I want to go over and give him a hug but I know that that would be the wrong thing to do now. Instead, I just stand 由 the front door and say, “What do 你 mean?”
“Jennifer, I think we’ve known each other long enough to dispense with any pretense,” says Nick with a slight edge to his voice. Then he sits down on the 长椅, 沙发 and buries his face in his hands. After a moment, he turns, looks at me and says, “So are you’re going to make me do all the talking?”
“What do 你 want me to say?” I ask.
“I want 你 to tell me the truth,” he replies. Then he adds, “I think I deserve that.”
I nod in agreement and say, “What do 你 want to know?”
“What’s going on between 你 and Josh?” His hands tighten into fists as he asks the 问题 and his body tenses as if he is bracing himself for a body blow.
I reply, “Nothing really just…”
Nick cuts me off and says, “Come on Jennifer. I saw the way 你 two were 表演 around each other at the restaurant. Do 你 really think I wouldn’t pick up on that?”
I blurt out, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We were…”
He cuts me off again 由 saying, “looking guilty as hell.” He pauses for a moment then asks, “So how long has this been going on?”
“Nothing happened while we were on set,” I say defensively. “Or during the mall tour 或者 press junkets for the movie. We were just friends.”
Nick looks at me curiously then says, “You 说 ‘were’ just friends.” Then he adds, “So does that mean you’re not just 老友记 now?”
“I don’t know.” It was as honest an answer as I could give him. Nick closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before responding. I sense that he is trying to maintain his composure. “So where does that leave us?”
I say, “I just need some time to sort things out.” Nick shakes his head and says, “We’ve been together for almost two years. 你 shouldn’t need to sort things out.”
He’s right but I say nothing in response. I can see that my silence is agitating him but I decide that it’s better to be silent than to say something we might both regret.
He breaks the silence 由 saying, “How can I trust you? You’ll be on set with him for at least four months. You’ll be working with him nearly every day.”
I say, “But we worked together on the last movie and nothing happened.” He replies, “But 你 weren’t in 爱情 with him then.” He pauses, then asks, “Was the awards 显示 the only time that 你 kissed him?”
I shake my head. He nods then asks, “Are 你 in 爱情 with him?” I want to tell him what he wants to hear but the words won’t come out. I realize that I would be lying to myself and to Nick if I deny it now. I can see that his eyes are beginning to well up with tears but I know there’s nothing I can say 或者 do now to stop the pain.
“Well, I guess that’s it then,” he says in a resigned and defeated tone of voice.
I ask, “Can’t 你 give me some time?”
“Time to do what?” he snaps back. “Make a bigger fool out of me than 你 already have.”
“Don’t do this,” I beg. He says in response, “I can’t stay here. I’ve got to go.”
“Where are 你 going to go?” I ask. He says, “I’ll figure something out.” He turns away from me, grabs his phone out of his pocket, and calls a cab. Afterward, he picks up his things and walks out the door. I follow him out and am about to say something when he turns to me and says, “Don’t say anymore. You’ve made your choice.”
I can feel the tears running down my face and I want so desperately to be able to say something to make things alright but, instead, all I can say is, “I’m so sorry.”
Nick turns to look at me and says, “So am I.”
After Nick leaves, I close the door, walk over to the couch, and cry.
I don’t respond to the question. Instead, I suggest that we go home. He nods in agreement.
“I had to see for myself,” Nick quietly says. He looks tired and sad. I want to go over and give him a hug but I know that that would be the wrong thing to do now. Instead, I just stand 由 the front door and say, “What do 你 mean?”
“Jennifer, I think we’ve known each other long enough to dispense with any pretense,” says Nick with a slight edge to his voice. Then he sits down on the 长椅, 沙发 and buries his face in his hands. After a moment, he turns, looks at me and says, “So are you’re going to make me do all the talking?”
“What do 你 want me to say?” I ask.
“I want 你 to tell me the truth,” he replies. Then he adds, “I think I deserve that.”
I nod in agreement and say, “What do 你 want to know?”
“What’s going on between 你 and Josh?” His hands tighten into fists as he asks the 问题 and his body tenses as if he is bracing himself for a body blow.
I reply, “Nothing really just…”
Nick cuts me off and says, “Come on Jennifer. I saw the way 你 two were 表演 around each other at the restaurant. Do 你 really think I wouldn’t pick up on that?”
I blurt out, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We were…”
He cuts me off again 由 saying, “looking guilty as hell.” He pauses for a moment then asks, “So how long has this been going on?”
“Nothing happened while we were on set,” I say defensively. “Or during the mall tour 或者 press junkets for the movie. We were just friends.”
Nick looks at me curiously then says, “You 说 ‘were’ just friends.” Then he adds, “So does that mean you’re not just 老友记 now?”
“I don’t know.” It was as honest an answer as I could give him. Nick closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before responding. I sense that he is trying to maintain his composure. “So where does that leave us?”
I say, “I just need some time to sort things out.” Nick shakes his head and says, “We’ve been together for almost two years. 你 shouldn’t need to sort things out.”
He’s right but I say nothing in response. I can see that my silence is agitating him but I decide that it’s better to be silent than to say something we might both regret.
He breaks the silence 由 saying, “How can I trust you? You’ll be on set with him for at least four months. You’ll be working with him nearly every day.”
I say, “But we worked together on the last movie and nothing happened.” He replies, “But 你 weren’t in 爱情 with him then.” He pauses, then asks, “Was the awards 显示 the only time that 你 kissed him?”
I shake my head. He nods then asks, “Are 你 in 爱情 with him?” I want to tell him what he wants to hear but the words won’t come out. I realize that I would be lying to myself and to Nick if I deny it now. I can see that his eyes are beginning to well up with tears but I know there’s nothing I can say 或者 do now to stop the pain.
“Well, I guess that’s it then,” he says in a resigned and defeated tone of voice.
I ask, “Can’t 你 give me some time?”
“Time to do what?” he snaps back. “Make a bigger fool out of me than 你 already have.”
“Don’t do this,” I beg. He says in response, “I can’t stay here. I’ve got to go.”
“Where are 你 going to go?” I ask. He says, “I’ll figure something out.” He turns away from me, grabs his phone out of his pocket, and calls a cab. Afterward, he picks up his things and walks out the door. I follow him out and am about to say something when he turns to me and says, “Don’t say anymore. You’ve made your choice.”
I can feel the tears running down my face and I want so desperately to be able to say something to make things alright but, instead, all I can say is, “I’m so sorry.”
Nick turns to look at me and says, “So am I.”
After Nick leaves, I close the door, walk over to the couch, and cry.